No clue of missing AN-32 aircraft but search will continue, says MoS for Defence Subhash Bhamre

Minister of State for Defence Subhash Bhamre has said that no progress has been made in locating the Indian Air Force (IAF) plane that went missing in July, but search operations will continue.

The AN-32 carrying, 29 people, including 21 military personnel, six crew members and two civilians, was on its way to Port Blair when it disappeared from radar on July 22.

In one of its largest search and rescue operations in recent years, India deployed ships, planes and a submarine to trace the missing aircraft.

The initial search ops were also hampered by rough weather over the Bay of Bengal.

"Whatever we have Indian air force, navy, coastal guard - all the resources are have been used. Surface search is going on, underwater search is going on, but we didn't get any clue so far. But search will go on. The relatives are daily given the information on the basis of whatever we have. Inquiry is been ordered and the inquiry is going on. The moment we get a report, we get details. So far we have not got anything," said Bhamre.

However, he added that survival of the people on board is unlikely.

The air force has 101 of the AN-32s that entered service in 1984 and have gone through mid-life upgrades and life extensions since then.